1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to adaptive optics and, more specifically, to micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) for implementing adaptive optics.
2. Description of the Related Art
Adaptive optics is a field of optics dedicated to the improvement of optical signals using information about signal distortions introduced by the environment in which the optical signals propagate. An excellent introductory text on the subject is given in “Principles of Adaptive Optics” by R. K. Tyson, Academic Press, San Diego, 1991, the teachings of which are incorporated herein by reference.
A representative example of an adaptive optical element is a deformable mirror driven by a wavefront sensor and configured to compensate for atmospheric distortions that affect telescope images. Small naturally occurring variations in temperature (˜1° C.) in the atmosphere cause random turbulent motion of the air and give rise to changes in the atmospheric density and, hence, to the index of refraction. The cumulative effect of these changes along the beam propagation path may lead to beam wandering, spreading, and intensity fluctuations, each of which degrades image quality. The wavefront sensor is a device that measures the distortions introduced in the atmosphere and generates feedback for the deformable mirror. Based on the feedback, the mirror is deformed such that the beam distortions are significantly reduced, thus improving the image quality.
One frequently used type of deformable mirror is a segmented mirror, in which each segment (pixel) can individually be translated and/or rotated. For many applications, a segmented mirror is required to have: (1) for each segment, translation/rotation magnitudes on the order of 1 μm/10 degrees, respectively, and (2) for the mirror as a whole, a fill factor of at least 98%. However, for many prior-art designs, these requirements are in direct conflict with each other and therefore difficult or even impossible to meet. For example, the high fill-factor requirement suggests a solution, in which mirror support elements and motion actuators are placed beneath (hidden under) the mirror. One result of this placement is that each segment typically rotates about an axis lying below the mirror surface and therefore is subjected to a lateral displacement within the mirror plane during rotation. To prevent physical interference with the neighboring mirror segments caused by this displacement, a relatively large spacing between the segments is required. The latter, however, significantly reduces the fill factor.